verspec
Flexible version handling
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need lightweight version parsing without packaging as a dependency. The library is stable (no known vulnerabilities), has low install friction, and permissive licensing. However, it has not been updated since 2020 and documentation is incomplete, so consider it suitable for straightforward version-matching tasks rather than as a primary versioning solution in active development.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Low friction: pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies.
- Active repository with recent commits, though the package itself has not been updated since its initial 0.1.0 release in 2020.
License · maintenance · safety
BSD 2-Clause or Apache-2.0 (permissive) — Dual-licensed under BSD 2-Clause or Apache-2.0, both permissive licenses allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions.
last release 2020-11-30 (2083 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-01 · 1 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 1,788,445 downloads/mo, #3,560 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
from verspec import loose
v = loose.Version('1.0')
s = loose.SpecifierSet('~=1.0')
assert v in s- Whether the package supports Python versions beyond 3.8 despite being classified for 3.6–3.8
- Current state of promised documentation ('Forthcoming' in excerpt)
- Maintenance activity and bug-fix cadence since 2020 release
What it is and what it does
verspec is a lightweight Python library for parsing, representing, and matching software version strings and version specifiers. It provides two main interfaces: loose.Version and loose.SpecifierSet for flexible version handling, and python.Version and python.SpecifierSet for strict Python versioning semantics. The library is adapted from the packaging project and handles common version comparison operations like checking whether a version satisfies a specifier constraint (e.g., testing if version 1.0 matches the specifier ~=1.0).
The package has no external runtime dependencies and installs as a pure Python wheel, making it lightweight to add to projects that need version handling without pulling in the full packaging library. It is classified as Alpha and has not been updated since its initial release, though the repository remains active.
Use it for
- Check if a software release version satisfies a version constraint in dependency resolution
- Parse and compare version strings in package management or release tooling
- Validate version specifiers in configuration files or user input
- Implement custom version-matching logic in build or deployment scripts
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need lightweight version parsing without packaging as a dependency.
The library is stable (no known vulnerabilities), has low install friction, and permissive licensing. However, it has not been updated since 2020 and documentation is incomplete, so consider it suitable for straightforward version-matching tasks rather than as a primary versioning solution in active development.
Install
verspec on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies. Active repository with recent commits, though the package itself has not been updated since its initial 0.1.0 release in 2020.
License in practice
Dual-licensed under BSD 2-Clause or Apache-2.0, both permissive licenses allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
from verspec import loose
v = loose.Version('1.0')
s = loose.SpecifierSet('~=1.0')
assert v in sVerify before relying
- Whether the package supports Python versions beyond 3.8 despite being classified for 3.6–3.8
- Current state of promised documentation ('Forthcoming' in excerpt)
- Maintenance activity and bug-fix cadence since 2020 release
Package facts
| License | BSD 2-Clause or Apache-2.0 permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 2,083 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 1,788,445 / month, #3,560 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 3 - AlphaIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software LicenseLicense :: OSI Approved :: BSD LicenseProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8 |
Evidence: verspec-0.1.0-py3-none-any.whl
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See also feu · versions · packaging · packvers · node-semver · looseversion · version-parser · pylcs · rpm-vercmp